South Pennines author publishes book inspired by the Yorkshire Countryside

Brenda Fisher, who writes under her penname, B.T. Fisher, fulfilled her dream of writing a book during lockdown.

She published A Week in the Pennines in January 2023 after enlisting the help of a London-based independent publisher.

Originally from Bolton, Brenda moved to Yorkshire in the 1980s for a six-month posting. As her time in God’s Own Country came to an end, she decided she didn’t want to leave and bought a weavers’ cottage in the South Pennines, where she has lived ever since.

Now retired, she keeps herself busy and fit by helping her farmer friends. “I have done a bit of everything,” Brenda explains, “from fencing and driving a tractor to shearing and helping deliver the lambs in spring. I’m sometimes called a ‘fair-weather farmer’ because I can pick it up and leave it at will. I’m not paid for my work, unless you count being the recipient of copious eggs, the odd lamb for the freezer and my pick of a fresh fleece or two.”

Farm work forms the basis of Brenda’s story, which follows the often-humorous trials and tribulations of 20-something Tabatha, who reluctantly agrees to go on a holiday in Bronte County and finds herself getting stuck on a rain-sodden sheep farm and roped into helping with lambing season.

“I chose a character who is unaware of her full potential,” explains Brenda, who lives in Pecket Well.

“She lives a nice life in the south of England but is a little bit sheltered. Farming very much throws you in at the deep end because there is so much to do all at once. It’s not for everyone, as it can be muddy and cold, but it can also be incredibly rewarding.

"I wanted to demonstrate this through Tabby’s transformation into a rural-loving woman.”

A Week in the Pennines is published by Wrate’s Publishing and is available on Amazon as a paperback and eBook.